How to host the perfect casual wine party

(Photo: iStockPhoto)

The following is a guest post by Shireen Qudosi of Heater-Home.

Use these simple tips for your upcoming fall and winter parties, and say good-bye to the boring old bashes of yesteryear.

Green wine: Going beyond just red and white
There's a lot more to the aged drink of perfection than just red, white, and rose. With the rise in environmental awareness, there's now a mushrooming array of eco-friendly wine and wineries. There are three categories of eco-friendly wines: sustainable, organic, and biodynamic.

"Sustainable" means that the grapes were grown with few to no synthetic chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. This method nurtures the soil naturally. "Organic" wines are grown in organically certified vineyards and are made without added sulfates. "Biodynamic" wine-making goes way beyond organics by viewing the farm as a living system.

If one of your hobbies is collecting exotic or expensive wines, then the next thing you have to think about is how you're going to maintain your investment. There are a lot of different types of wine storage units, and between coolers, racks, and wine cellars, it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

However, with an easy-to-follow guide on the importance of storing your investment properly and a quick breakdown of the different types, you'll have this category covered.

Presentation is key
As easy as it would be to pull out a bottle of red from under the kitchen sink, the fact is anyone who does anything well does it with style -- besides, if you're dusting off wine it should be because its aged with precision rather than because it's simply forgotten. There are three basic types of wine cooler storage devices: bottle coolers, wine coolers, and cellars.

If you're a beginner, you may want to consider a wine bottle cooler, which maintains the bottle temperature while you dine. However, if your collection is a little larger, then consider a wine cooler that comes equipped with wine racks to prevent your bottles from clashing together. With thermoelectric, multiple independently controlled  temperature zones for both red and white wines, touch screens, sleek lighting with glass doors, an ability to house anywhere between 14 to 32 bottles -- how could you go wrong?

When buying a wine cooler, you should also understand the specific differences between a wine cooler and a wine cellar. Wine cellars are ideal if you have aging wines or need long term storage. But above all, don't be a wine hoard. Remember that wine is for enjoyment and the best way for any single to enjoy a great bottle of red, white, or rose is to throw a wine party.

When it comes to entertaining, nothing beats good company paired with wine alongside a roasting fire. And apparently we're not the only ones who think that way. As Jacoba Budden pointed out in "Moussaka," even the ancient Greeks with their "thinkers and some of the greatest philosophers ever known," had in-home taverns capable of hosting hundreds of people for drink, festivities, and profits. I say, why argue with some of the world's most brilliant thinkers?

Putting together a stylish and sophisticated evening
When hosting your own bash, the center of any lively combination should be several bottles of wine, alongside casual but well thought-out platters. Conventionally, platters were limited to cheese, but excellent hosts know that mixing it up with breads, chocolates, and some delectable deserts works equally as well. With such a colorful sensation for the palate and the array of pairings to choose from, you and your guests will marvel at how easy it can be to have a great time with such minimal effort.

In light of the recession, many people are forgoing traditional dinner parties and instead opting for a rich but simplified menu. Come to be known as chic "wine parties," guests usually delight in being able to have a more casual get together that isn't meal-oriented. These new types of parties are not only friendly on the wallet, but are also far more time/cost efficient -- requiring less preparation and clean up, they can be thrown at the last-minute while still being a hit with your guests. People also enjoy the opportunity to sample new types of wines in a relaxed and friendly circle.

But in going beyond just the basics of wine, any great wine-party host will take the time and set the stage for his or her guests. After all, a cold barren room is hardly going to foster an evening of warm and engaging conversation -- especially with winter at our heels.

Equally as important as the wine and pairings you serve, is what type of setting you serve it in. With winter here and everyone huddling indoors, make sure your space creates the ideal ambiance for a memorable evening. While you may choose to use a heater, it might be more practical and both cost and energy efficient to use a single portable space heater. An electric space heater is far more eco-friendly to use than a central heating unit. If your guests will be in one, maybe two rooms, why waste energy and money heating the whole house when a space heater can do the job at a fraction of the cost? However, if you prefer an outdoor venue, you can achieve that too through using a couple of portable patio heaters.

After sorting through wine, pairings and creating the perfect warm welcoming environment, you're well on your way to creating wonderful holiday memories without the usual hassle normally associated with the season.

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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc